Swimming device



April 14, 1925. 1,533,659

`^ A. w. NlLssoN swnnlING DEVICE md sept. 21. 1922 A rlhuzmgflwlwz 1 mudlnmnnll im mn LWN" e Hl l' Y /rii Mmmm4 INVENTo/z ,4x/f1. M /l//LHM WITNESS Patented Apr. 14, 1925, s,

Uiviiizia AXEL w, Nrnssoiv, or roar wAsniNeron, NEW YORK.

) SWIMMING DEVICE.

Application led September 2l, 1922. Serial No. 589,572.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, AXEL IN. NiLssoN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Port `Washington,` Long Island, county of Nassau, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swimming Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention Vrelates to swimming devices for use by human beings, and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient device capable of being readily attached in position and whereby self-propulsion of the human body through the water in the actI of swimming is greatly facilitated. will be fully described hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed outin the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an example of the invention without defining its limits, Figure 1 is aperspective view showing Vthe device in operative position upon a swimmer; Fig. 2 is yan elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view, and Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the method of attachment of the device.

As shown in the drawings, the device comprises one or more, and preferably two, rectangular frames 5 located in spaced, parallel relation and having their inner members secured to a carrying element 6 and the outer members` fixed upon supporting rods 7, as shown in Fig. 1. The element 6 and rods 7, in turn, are mounted upon a foot-piece 8 which is shaped to follow the conformation of the human foot and to provide a rest therefor; the foot-piece S is somewhat less in length than the foot for which it is intended, so that when the device is worn, thetoes and forward end of the foot will be free and unobstructed to enable the wearer to climb out of the water, for instance by way of a ladder. A plurality of blades 9 are pivotally mounted in groups in the frames 5 to rotate about axes which eX- tend in planes parallel to the plane of operative movement of the device and transverse to the direction of such movement, and

Vwhich are approximately perpendicular to the leg of the swimmer and project outward-` ly therefrom when the device is in place, as

illustrated in Fig. 2; in the preferred con-` struction the pivots of the blades are offset with respect to the longitudinal centre lines thereof, so that each blade will quickly ,assume an operative position at the proper liheb.- rangement is such that the surface area of each group of blades is iii excess of the surface area of a foot of the swimmer,

The invention.

time, itfbeing understood that suitable stops may be provided to arrest the swinging movements of said blades at predetermined points. In order to insure the proper operative co-operation of the blades 9, they may be connected in any suitable manner to move in unison, as by means of a rod or the In the illustrated example the arsof that a v maximum propelling force is developed with a minimum of physical energy.Y Any suitable attaching means may be provided for securing the device in place; for instance, as shown, the foot-piece '8 may be constructed with apertures l0 for the accommodation of straps 11 which eX- tend about the foot above the instep and provide a seat for the heel and further encircle the carrying element 6 and the leg above the ankle, las shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, a strap 12 may extend through an aperture I3 in the foot-piece 8 and over the foot near ythe base of the toes, while another strap lll may pass through an opening 15 near the upper end of the element 6 and labout the leg, as also illustrated in Fig. 2.

The rods 7 and frames 5 are preferably constructed in tubular form for strength and lightness and so that the air confined in these hollow frames provides the buoyancy which causes the device to be suspended in the water without effort; all parts of said device are,for instance, made of aluminum alloy for strength and lightness and so that the dead weight of the device, when out of the. water, is relatively low, and when in the water, is easily maintained by the specific gravity of water and has no tendency t-o sink. The rods 7 and frames 5, by enclosing the blades 9, constitute guards which prevent said blades from inflicting injuries to others when the wearer of the device is walking about.

In practice, the device is located upon the ,outside of the legs and occupies the posiedges thereof are presented to the water, which accordingly is cut through by said blades and presents practicallyno resistance thereto, so that this movement of the legs is accomplished with practically no more effort than is required without the device. As soon as the legs kickbachward, the pressure of the water causes the blades 9 to be pivota'lly swung to positions in which the surfaces thereof are presented to the water, this shifting of the blades being facilitated because of the off-set positions ofthe pivots. To still further insure tliisfadjustnient of said blades, a corner ofeach of them may be bent slightly out of the plane of each blade, as indicated at 9, so as to present a surface, when the blades occupy their inoperative positions, upon Vwhich the water `may. vact to swing them to their operative posit-ions as soon-as the rearward kick of the legs is commenced, or said blades may be otherwise deformed 'to produce the same result. ln any event, as the legs describe rearward movements, the blades 9 will be squarely presented to the water, which accordingly acts thereonto resist this rearward movement and therefore develops a pressure which serves to propel the swimmer :in a forward direction. As the legs are again drawn toward `the body, in a movement of recovery, the blades 9 are v 'again pivotally shifted toward their inoperative positions, in which they cut through the 'water without vany appreciable effort. The pivotal rocking of the blades to and from' their several 'positions is facilitated and` assured because said blades lmay be said to be` overbalaiiced due to the offset posi- Ition 'of the pivots; as a result of this, the major area of 'eac-h blade vlies to one side 'of its pivot and provides a surface upon 'which'the water may act to automatically adjust'the blades as described, the resistance to such adjustments which is offered by the relatively lesser area. of each blade which lies upon the. opposite side ofv its pivot `being readily overcome.

Because of the 'fact that the axes about which said blades rock or oscillate lie in .planes parallel to the plane of operative movement of the device' and extend in directions transverse'to vsuch movement and approximately perpendicular to the legs to which Athe-device is attached, the entire survface `area 'of all of the blades is Aquickly brought 'to :an operative position and is simultaneously used throughout its entire 'lex-tent to produce a pressure upon the water whereby the swimmer is propelled; at the same-time, with the described arrangement, the blades are brought to an inoperative -position at once, at the beginning of each ano-vement. of recovery of the legs. This is ,1in .eontradistinctionrto that class of devices in which 'the blad-es swing in arcs toward;

and away from the legs and in which the surface area of said blades comes progressively into use, and in the same way, presents a ljirogressively decreasing resistance whereby the movement of recovery of the legs of the swimmer is hampered and hindered. Y

'll he present device is extremely simple in construction, 4is comfortable to wear, and does not interfere with the walking and other movements of the wearer; being of a buoyancy corresponding approximately to the specific gravity as water, it does not require any force or strength to be expended in supporting it while the wearer is actually in the water, but maybe said to be selfsustaiiiing. The multiplicity of blades which it is possible to include in the device without rendering it cumbersome or complicated results in a high speed ofpropulsion being attained with comparatively little manual effort on ther part yof the swimmer. The device is easily attached in position and may be removed from the wearer atvwill without difficulty; at the same time, it is capable of being easily carried about.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the nature of my invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A swimming device compri-sing a footpiece of less length than the foot it is in-` tended to accommodate and arranged to leave `the toes of a swimmer free and unobstructed, a carrying element mounted on said foot-piece toward the rear thereof and adapted to extend lengthwise ofra leo'l of the swimmer, hollow rods fixed upon said footpiece, spaced, rectangular frames carriedby said element and rods in approximately perpendicular relation to said element, blades pivotally mounted in .said frames in groups and lenclosed thereby, said 'blades being movable about axes yperpendicular to saidelement, and straps wherebyT said element :and foot-piece are detachably secured in place to attach the device to a swimmer.

- 2. A swimming device comprising fa footpiece, av carrying element mounted thereon and adapted to extend lengthwise of a leg of the swimmer at the outside thereof, a plurality of hollow-air-containing frames extending outwardly from said carrying element in spaced, superimposed relation to each other, hollow air-containing rods connected with each of said frames and with said foot-piece and a plurality of-blades-L pivotally mounted on each frame and enclosed thereby.

3. A swimming device comprising a support, adapted to extend lengthwise of the -l'eg of the swimmer at the outside thereof, a plurality ofblades pivotally mounted on said support to swing about axes extending outWardl'v7 at approximately'right angles to the leg' of a swimmer, said blades being de formed in a predetermined manner to present a surface which is immediately responsive to the pressure ont Water duringl the swimming movements, whereby the blades are pivotally actuated in a positive manner from one position to another7 and means lor securing said device to the legl oil' a swimmer.

el. A swimming device comprising a support, a plurality of blades pivot-,ally mounted thereon to swing about axes extending out Wardly at approximately right angles to the leg of a swimmer, each blade having a corner bent out of the surface plane of the blade to present a surface which in all positions of said blade is immediately responsive to Water pressure during the swimming movements to positively swing said blades from one position to another, and means for securing` said device to the leg` of a swimmer.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

AXEL W. NILssoN. 

